In many applications, electronic circuits on circuit boards are potted with a potting compound in order to protect the electronic circuit from the effects of moisture, for example, and to maintain critical separation distances between components. For this, the populated circuit boards are inserted directly into either a housing or a potting shell, whereupon the housing or the potting shell is filled with the potting compound until the desired degree of moisture protection is ensured.
To the extent that the potting compound has a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the surrounding housing or components of the electronic circuit, or circuit board, fluctuations in temperature can lead to deformation of the circuit board such that the electronic circuit, which is arranged on the circuit board, is damaged. This applies both for circuits which are arranged in a housing, and for those initially positioned in a conventional potting shell.